A project by Rafael Lozano-Hemmer

Turbulence is an interactive installation consisting of a cluster of buoys illuminated by the voices of passers-by. The hundred and twenty seven buoys float in the centre of the river and contain a loudspeaker, LED light source and a sensor that detects movement in the water.

‘A number of micrphones placed at various locations around the quayside will record people’s voices and automatically convert them into blinking lights within the buoys. The stored voices stay quietly in the buoys until the river’s periodic turbulence – caused by the constant ebb and flow of the river Teifi – activates the buoys to ‘release’ the stored sounds, which can be heard from the shore. A website will likewise allow people from all over the world to add their voices to the project.

‘The piece is intended as a reflection on Welsh oral traditions, poetry and song, creating a playful participative platform that is activated by the natural cycles of tides.’

Rafael added, ‘The initial reaction to the turbulence proposal was incredibly supportive and the enthusiasm in the room was great to see. I look forward now to working with a number of individuals and experts in the town and beyond to make the theoretical become the practical. This is a very exciting project for me and hopefully for the town and Wales.’

More information on Lozano-Hemmer’s projects available at www.lozano-hemmer.com